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You indicate that our suggestions and comments are appreciated. I think it would be awesome if you collected data from the field. There are survey applications such as Zoomerang.com that allow you to easily create surveys and then to get reports and graphs from the data collected. I think it would be a powerful commentary for you to do a survey to find out what conditions people have, whether they can work, which medications they are taking, the impact of the medication, etc. – Martha

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Probiotics Have Made a Difference

Re: “Probiotics – Our Silent Partners for Good Health” – I’ve been using probiotics (in capsule form from the refrigerated shelves in a health food store) for a number of months now. During that time, I’ve had hardly any stomach difficulties (an exception was when I inadvertently drank some tainted water). I used to have bad heartburn daily and had resorted to sleeping apart from my husband in a bed with the head raised. I’ve had an endoscopy but the gastroenterologist could find nothing that would explain the extent of my difficulties. My doctor prescribed Protonix [a “proton pump inhibitor” prescription drug that blocks the stomach’s acid production] for these problems. Presently, this is being managed by my pain management specialist, whom I plan to ask to reduce my Protonix load with an eye to cutting it entirely. I’ll also tell him of my success with probiotics. – Pearl

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Fighting Seasonal Affective Disorder (Winter Blues)

Re: “Don’t Be SAD This Winter” – I have found that large doses of Vitamin D have helped me fight SAD better than anything else I’ve used. I have always had terrible problems with SAD, and have used light boxes and other forms of therapy in the past.

However, last year I took large doses of Vitamin D, and found it not only gave me the winter that was closest to SAD-free that I can remember, but also helped the pain, exhaustion and many other symptoms of my Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well. I have found it to be a wonder drug, if taken in the right doses. You have to lower the amounts when the days get longer or if you are out in the sun for any amount of time. You also have to be monitored by a doctor, especially if you take a lot or are in the sun a lot, too. CAUTION: Large doses of Vitamin D can be toxic to your liver. – VitaD

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If You Even Suspect Diabetes…

If you even suspect you might have diabetes, I would definitely have your urine checked for sugar. I discovered my two-year-old was diabetic when she wouldn’t stop drinking water and would pee non-stop. The drug store sells strips that you urinate on and they will tell you if you have sugar in your urine. Don’t wait until you get really sick because, if it is diabetes, you will get very ill without treatment. – M

Note: This is a very good suggestion. According to the National Institutes of Health, the symptoms of diabetes include:

Increased thirst

Increased urination

Weight loss despite increased appetite

Nausea

Vomiting

Abdominal pain

Fatigue

Absence of menstruation

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Effects of Fluoride & Municipal Water Treatments

I stopped drinking tap water because of the fluoride in the water, but even worse is the fluoride in toothpaste, which is thousands of times more potent. You need a natural toothpaste… which I use. However, even more damaging was the chlorine and/or chloramines in the water that is used to kill the bacteria. I had acid reflux for a while, but my nutritionist finally cured it. Then suddenly it returned a few years ago, although I had changed nothing. I eventually tracked down the problem to the tap water, which I was still drinking at the time but through a… filter.

I called the water company and they had just switched from chlorine to chloramine to treat the water, in the same week as my symptoms! I never drank tap water again. Paying for bottled water is a small price to pay for staying healthy. – Sandy

Note: An Internet search on chloramines brings up a variety of views, ranging from “Citizens Concerned about Chloramine,” which suggests some individuals experience skin, respiratory, eye, or digestive problems owing to bathing in/drinking chloraminated water to publications from municipal water systems which now employ chloramines outlining the information they considered.

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Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is generic and is not meant to prevent, diagnose, treat, mitigate, or cure any illness, condition, or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.